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Sunday, 6 May 2012

Comfrey: Making Healing Infusions and Soothing Salves

Sunday Surprise!At least one day a week I'll post a recipe for you to try. Today I thought I'd post about one of my favorite herbs, comfrey and how to use it to make healing infusions, lotions and soothing salves.

Comfrey

Comfrey has been used as an anti-itch agent
for centuries. Another name it is known by is Healing Herb. It is recommended
by many herbalists to aid in rapid wound healing. Here in Victoria BC it is found growing wild and in many gardens. Instead of weeding it out or using it for mulch try this infusion recipe.

To make an oil infusion use
only the freshly dried herb. You can easily dry the herb quickly in your microwave between paper towels or in the oven on low with the door propped open. The dried herb is more potent. Heat your carrier oil (liquid almond or
semi-solid virgin coconut are common carriers) and pour over a quart of herb.

Comfrey Infusion

2 cups virgin coconut oil

1 cup almond oil

1 cup grapeseed oil

4 cups dried comfrey

Heat the oils to 200 degrees F. Pour over the dried herb.
Let steep for 24 hours. Repeat process with additional herb until desired strength is achieved. The
herb will color the carrier oil a greenish yellow. Store in sealed in dark glass jars or other container that will protect it from the light. If stored in the refrigerator it will be semi solid. Bring to room temp or slightly warm for easy dispensing.

For
external use only. Not recommended internally as it has been implicated to
cause liver damage.

This wonderful infusion can be used as the base for your favorite creams and lotions. People who suffer from itchy skin conditions will thank you for your concoctions.

As with all preparations for the skin,
allergy test it on a small portion of skin before applying it to large
areas of the body such as the entire face. Inside of the wrist
application for 15 min then checking for redness or itch is an easy test
to perform before using a new product.